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'Ship of No Return' wins DIVA award

Most successful German TV movie of 2008

COLOGNE, Germany -- Joseph Vilsmaier’s “Ship of No Return -- The Final Voyage of the Gustloff” has won the DIVA award as most successful German TV movie of 2008.

The two-part miniseries tells the true story of the worst naval disaster in history: when the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, carrying German soldiers and civilian refugees, was sunk by a Russian submarine in January 1945. More than 9,000 people died, several times the number that went down on the Titanic.

Vilsmaier’s two-parter was a ratings hit for public broadcaster ZDF, drawing an audience of 8.5 million and a 23.5% share on its original broadcast last February. ZDF Enterprises is handling international sales for the title.